Hi Kevin,
     My 1999 Mitsubishi Montero is acting strange:
draining the brand new battery in two days even when just parking in the garage.

     Remote key does not open the locks, only clicking noise generated. Engine starts and runs while battery is still charged.
Is it possible that this condition is coming from faulty alternator?

Answer:

     Alternator is possible, but it is probably an accessory inside the vehicle. 
The first thing I would check is the alternator charging voltage.  With the vehicle running, measure the voltage at the battery with a voltmeter.  It should be between 13.5 and 14.5 Volts.  If it’s below that, I would suspect the alternator.

     I would also fully charge the battery and have a garage perform a load test.  It’s not unheard of to get a bad new battery.

Once those two checks are done it’s time to find the drain…

     The best way to check for drain is to use an ammeter, hooked inline with the negative cable at the battery.  With everything off, and no key in the ignition, start pulling fuses until you find the circuit causing the drain.  Your radio and ecu will probably cause a slight drain, and 50mA is not uncommon so don’t think you have to get the drain down to 0.  You are looking for a circuit causing over 500mA to drain your battery that fast.

Once you find the circuit causing the drain, you need to determine what component in that circuit is causing the problem.  Damaged light sockets, bad solenoids and motors have been known to cause issues.  It’s always an adventure finding electrical problems, and don’t forget a bad wire can also leak to ground and cause a drain.
Good Luck,
Kevin

Kevin,

I have a 2002 Mitsubishi Lancer that has a dead battery every time I turn off the car, but also leave the radio or air conditioner on, or leave any devices on whatsoever. This is weird because the radio is no longer playing and looks exactly like its off, but somehow, even with the car completely off and the keys completely removed, if the A/C or radio switches were left in the on position, then the battery will be dead if I return a few hours later, or overnight.

These devices never used to do this before — whenever I used to turn the car off and remove the key, these devices would not only go dead also, but they would also cease to draw power and deaden the battery.

Does anyone here have any ideas what might be going on? Im going to show this message to my brother, so if you have any ideas whats going on, he will be able to understand what youre explaining. Thanks.

- Rebecca

Answer:

I would do a full checkup on the charging system.

1. Remove battery, fully charge and load test it. Most parts stores can test your battery or a mechanic should be able to do it for you.

2. With engine running, check voltage, should be at 14 Volts or above. If not, your alternator is not working properly.

3. Check battery drain with an amp meter between the positive terminal of the battery and the positive cable going to the starter. You should be well below .2 amps. If you are above, then I would start pulling fuses from the fuse panel one at a time to see which circuit in the system is causing the drain. From there you will need to then find the offending electrical item (radio, trunk light etc.) on that circuit and fix/replace it.

Stats: 2002 Nissan Sentra GXE, auto transmission, power locks and windows. No recent work, however I keep all the maintenance up to date.

Yesterday my car suddenly acted funny. While pulling out of my neighborhood, my CD player suddenly turned off, then faded back in as if I had turned it back on. At first I thought it was the CD, but after switching to my radio it did the same thing. The sound would disappear, then fade back in after a few moments. It did this about 6-7 times during a 15 minute trip.

I never lose engine power or the ability to control my car. I did notice the following though: The radio display and pre-sets are kept, for 1:5 sound drops my airbag light would come on, for 1:10 sound drops my odometer and speedometer would shoot up then return to normal, no loss in A/C. No other lights on my dash would light up, nor would any other gauges misread. Finally, I could hear a faint whine when Id shift gears. It sounded very similar to something I heard years ago in a friends car. He installed a radio that was too powerful, so if he ran the A/C and the radio at the same time it would make the same whining noise. It makes me wonder if my problem is a power issue.

On my return trip home, as well as on another ride that day, nothing happened. The second one was about an hour round-trip. At first I thought perhaps some water somehow got in the engine (we had a BAD t-storm the night before), or something like that. However, the problem came up again this morning, although not with the same frequency as the first time it happened.

Ideas?

Answer:

It sounds like an electrical issue in the dash somewhere. The whine you described is interference in the power wire, coming through the radio. It is most likely a symptom of a loose power connection somewhere under the dash. I would trace back the power wire from the radio back to the fuse box. It wont be easy, but you can lay under the dash and try to wiggle every connection you can see while the radio is on, to see if you can reproduce the cut-out of the radio. Once you find the offending connection, you can then determine why its loose. There is the possibility of water getting into a connection, but its more likely to be a bad/loose prong in the connector itself. You could also check the fuses in the fuse box, remove and re-seat the radio fuse to see if there was a bad connection there. Electrical problems are never easy to diagnose, since you cant see electricity and most people dont understand the basic principals involved.

My 1996 Toyota Corolla DX does not alway start. The first couple of trys the starter does not make a sound and the car does not start. Then when I try to start the car again it turns over like nothing is wrong. Do I need a new starter or something else?

Answer:

I would have the battery checked first, as well as the battery terminals and cables. Most intermittent start problems are related to corrosion at the battery terminals. Any competent garage can clean the battery terminals and inspect the cables for wear.

My car is a 2003 Ford Taures SES. Every other week , I get a hiccup in the electrical system, everything flicks out and comes back on, a few random warning lights will light up, go out and the car keeps running. There is no common denominator, like turning on the AC, when this happens. To make it even weirder, Ive gone out to my car to start it, put in the key, and when I turn it to the start position, I completely lose all electrical power, lights, radio, dashlights, the 1st time this happened, I turned the key to off, and then back to start and it restarted. The second time, I left the key in the ignition, and popped the hood to see if there was a loose battery cable, as I was lifting the hood, I heard the key in the ignition/door ajar chime start up, and I went back in and the car started fine. The 3rd time (this evening) I got the weird power flicker, but this time the car stalled, and when I went to restart it, I lost all electrical when I turned the key to start. it did finally restart after sitting for a minute or two. Ive checked the battery cable and the connectors to the fuse boxs but they are tight and wiggling them does not replicate the problem.

Answer:

It sounds like a hidden problem in the ignition switch or the wiring harness. These types of problems can be very tough to figure out, and as much as I hate to say it, take it to a Ford dealer (one you trust) and have them diagnose. They may recommend changing out the ignition switch, which would be my first guess to the problem, but they may also have a TSB on your car which spells out common causes for this issue. TSB stands for Technical Service Bulletin, and is communications that the factory gives out to their dealership mechanics about common problems and procedures for fixing them. Not quite a recall, but similar in that there is an offical number, and procedures documented for the mechanics to follow. If you are curious about TSBs you can check out www.sparkcharge.lol/alldata.htm where you can get a subscription for your vehicle. Along with the TSBs you get Recalls, Labor Guides and Repair Procedures for your vehicle.

Hey my question is when i go to start my vehicle i get nothing. Car is a 1996 Oldsmobile Cutlass ciera SL With a 3.1 Liter V6. Engine does not turn over. And starter does not turn over. I am wondering how to find out if its the solenoid or starter or possibly the relay for the ignition.

Please respond asap.

Thank you for your assistance

Answer:

First step is to pull the battery out and test that. Make sure it has a full charge, and then use a battery load tester to check condition of the battery. Most garages and auto parts stores have a battery tester.

I would also check both battery terminals and cables to make sure you have a good connection. Cables can corrode from the inside and create problems. I have seen more starting issue due to cables, than a bad starter or solenoid.

Assuming that the battery and cables checks out, you can jump the terminals on the solenoid to see if the engine turns over. If it does, then there is a problem in the ignition switch or safety system (brake switch, or neutral/park safety switch)

If you do not feel comfortable jumping the solenoid posts, you can use a volt meter to check for voltage at the solenoid ignition connection (typically marked with an I on the post) to see if the ignition switch is sending current. If you have voltage, its more than likely a bad solenoid. If there is no voltage, then its in the ignition switch/safety loop mentioned above. If you have voltage at the solenoid, and hear the clicking of the solenoid moving the starter gear into the flywheel, but the starter does not spin, then its the starter itself.

Answer: With the ignition turned off, simply press and hold the trip button at the bottom of the speedometer for 10 seconds. You will see some
numbers flash on the odometer as the system resets. The needle should
go back to normal after that. I have heard of some mechanics charging a lot of money to press a little button, since most people are clueless about this reset trick.

I have a problem. – 86 Celebrity 2.5L

Car will crank but not start.  While swapping battery and connecting
positive cable first I heard a popping sound by the right firewall. I
finished hooking up the battery and tried to start the car:

1. Car would crank but won’t start
2.  Checked for spark wth timing light – no start
3. tried to pull codes (with paper clip) old fashion type – light would not
flash
4. radio fuse blew, all others ok
5. Could it be the computer? If not what could it be?
6. Is there a way out can check the computer – or just buy one from a junk
yard”

Answer:

It could be the computer, or a fusible link in the wiring harness.  A fusible link is basically an inline fuse, that is not replacable.  You would have to find the link in the harnas and replace it.  Sometimes there are fuses/relays in the engine compartment also, but that is more common on foreign cars.  To really diagnose the issue, you need a multi-meter, and a good repair manual with wiring schematics.  You need to see if the computer is getting power, and test some of the outputs to see if it’s working.

You can buy computers out of a junkyard, and this may be an easy way to diagnose your problem without spending too much time or money. (depending on the cost of the computer)  I would think you should be able to get the computer from a junkyard for less than $150.  Check out www.car-part.com to search junkyard inventories.

Kevin

Thank You,
Tom

Answer:
Tom,

I would check the fuses first, there should be a diagram on the fuse panel
showing you which circuits are which. The side mirror controls are probably
grouped with the power window circuit or door locks.

If it’s not a bad fuse, then I would suspect the switch. Removing the door
panel and getting to the switch is not too hard, but you will have to be careful
when removing the inside door panel. I do not have specific instructions for
your truck, but typically you will need to remove some screws first around the
arm rest and possibly at the bottom of the door, then carefully pry the door
panel away from the door. The trick is to apply enough pressure to pop the clips
which hold the door panel on, but not break the plastic door panel.

You should be able to get the switch from the Ford dealer, a junkyard or possibly
a U-Pull-It Junkyard. Infact, if you have a U-Pull-It type junkyard in your
area, this may be a good way of practicing to remove that door panel ! You can
find a listing of junkyards at www.classicjunkyard.com/junkyards/

Good Luck,

Kevin

My Lincoln sits a lot and has not been starting very well since I bought it a few months ago. I went to start it and heard the dreaded click-click of the solenoid going, but the starter not turning. I guess it’s time to start diagnosing.

My first suspect was the battery, so I disconnected it and put it on the charger. After a night of charging, I whipped out my battery tester, which is basically a volt meter with a resistor built it to put a load on the battery. I used a model from Harbor Freight.. cheap, but I don’t use it that often and it works.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=90636

Well, the battery was marginal, so I replaced it just to be safe. The battery was in the car when I bought it, and was not marked as to when it was installed, so I could not determine the age. When in doubt, replace it !

The next step was to inspect the cables running from the battery to the solenoid, ground cable, and the cable from the solenoid to the starter. The battery cables were in good condition, but the cable from the solenoid to the starter had a huge rip in the insulation and the copper wires were corroded. This will prevent the stater from getting full power, and will make the starter crank slow, if at all. So off to the parts store to get a new cable. $4 later, I was under the car replacing the cable. While I was at the store, I picked up a new starter solenoid for $6 which is just cheap insurance. Since you can not open up the solenoid and inspect it, it’s easier just to replace if you don’t know the age.

After everything was replaced, I got in the car, and the old Lincoln fired right up. The start spun fast, and strong, just like new.

When you are done with all your repairs, it’s a good idea to protect your connectors with a battery terminal grease available at any auto parts store. The grease prevents corrosion and can be found in tube or spray form.

Kevin